According to Yonhap News,

(SEJONG=Yonhap News) South Korea held a topping-out ceremony for a second passenger terminal at Incheon International Airport, the transport ministry said Tuesday, as part of efforts to better meet the increasing demand for international air traffic.

The gateway to South Korea, which opened in 2001 and is located about 40 kilometers west of Seoul, is expected to reach a saturation point in 2017, as it dealt with 49 million passengers and 2.49 million tons of cargo last year.

The government had completed the second phase of the expansion project in 2008, and kicked off its third phase in 2011 to build the second passenger terminal.

In the ceremony, the final beam was lifted and placed atop the building, with the attendance of some 1,000 government and business officials including Transport Minister Kang Ho-in and Cheong Il-young, president of Incheon International Airport Corp.

"Incheon International Airport is South Korea's portal and world-class landmark," said the minster in his congratulatory remarks. "After the completion of its second passenger terminal and a shopping and conference complex, the main gateway will advance to a new business cluster that creates higher value."

The new terminal, located right next to the existing one, will have a total floor space of 384,000 square meters and be equipped with diverse energy-saving facilities, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Once completed at the end of 2017, the airport is expected to be able to handle 72 million passengers and 5.8 million tons of air cargo per year, the ministry said.

brk@yna.co.kr

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